I got to go meet with a basketball coach last night! I was connected with him through Alicia´s friend, and mine soon hopefully, Lourdes. She has a friend who used to play in Spain and asked her who to contact about playing. She called me to let me know to call Yuso Janice (Yu-tho Ha-nee-theh). He coaches the teams at a local community center, a pueblog over.
I drove all by myself, down the byway and everything! I got a little lost on the way home, but not too bad. Anyhow, when I arrived he told me he was contacted by Lourdes´friend but also, his uncle, who lives in my pueblo and who I´ve never met. His uncle told him, "there´s an American girl in Tajonar who is 2 meters tall (6 feet)!" So, I guess the town is scouting me.
Here´s the deal... I can´t play for the team that is more my skill level because it´s a national team. Since Spain is not my nation, it doesn´t work. They have a regional team, which is more for fun, so I can play in their games. But, Yuso wants me to practice with the national team to see the difference between his 4´s and 5´s and me, in other words, he wants to see how his team stacks up against American University level basketball. So, I´ll go to practices on Monday and Wednesday and play games with the regional team on Sundays. Yuso speaks some english and I´m going to work on my spanish, of course, with the team and he.
Also, the customary greeting and goodbye in Spain is a kiss on each cheek, which I think I´ve said. Well, Yuso is an older man, 50 or so, and I gave him a ride home from the gym because he lives so close. It was so weird, we kissed on the cheeks in the car before he got out, like the end of a date. Yikes! He´s really nice though, no funny business, I´m sure. I´ll just have to get used to all the kissing. I wonder if I´ll have to kiss all my teammates when I meet them?
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